Out & About San Diego with Jim Frimmer, Your Mission Valley Realtor — Where California was born

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Where California was born

Mission Valley in San Diego, California, is one of the most happening places in San Diego County. There's shopping, dining, dancing, drinking, golfing, boating, movies.... Just about the only thing you can't do in Mission Valley is snow skiing.

But did you know that Mission Valley also happens to be the place where California was born? Yep. Right here in Mission Valley. At the far western end where Presidio Park sits today:

The site is marked by a beautiful museum, the Junipero Serra Museum, built in 1929 in the Spanish Colonial style. Unfortunately, museums have been hit hard by budget cuts during the recession, so it currently is not open to the public. However, a walk around the grounds presents you with a lot of history about early California if you stop to read the plaques:

The site known as Presidio Hill was first occupied by sailors, soldiers, Indians, and Franciscan missionaries on May 17, 1769. In just 241 years, California went from a military outpost to the most populous state in the Union.

Just two months later, on July 16, Father Junipero Serra founded the first California mission at Presidio Hill although the mission would later be moved about five miles further inland.

The Presidio was abandoned in 1837 after San Diego was officially designated a Mexican pueblo. That meant that Mexican forces rather than city residents would protect the city.

There is a mausoleum on the property. The plaque says the mausoleum is for Sylvester Pattie and he is noted as "Pathfinder." He was the leader of the first party of Americans into Alta California over Southern trails, arriving at the Presidio on March 27, 1828. Sylvester Pattie was born in Kentucky on August 25, 1782, was an officer in the War of 1812, and died on April 24, 1828, not even a month after arriving in San Diego. He is recognized as the first American buried in California soil.

One of the great San Diegans from its early history was George White Marston (1850-1946). Marston set about to acquire Presidio Hill and surrounding lands to create a public space recognizing the birthplace of San Diego and California. What you see at Presidio Hill — the buildings, the parks, the trees, the trails — are the result of his work. Most of the giant eucalyptus trees you see on the Presidio grounds were planted by Marston.

There is a time capsule that was sealed on December 31, 1969, and is supposed to be opened on July 16, 2069, for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the San Diego Mission by Father Serra.

The views of Mission Valley from the top of Presidio Hill are spectacular. On a clear day after the fog and marine layer have dissipated, you can see forever: Mission Bay, Mount Soledad, University of San Diego.... So take some time off, stop by, walk the trails, have a picnic, and enjoy yourself. This is where San Diego and California began!

Feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have any questions.Jim Frimmer, Realtor, CDPEHomeSmart Realty West, Mission ValleyCalBRE License #01458572619-729-5701jlfpianist@aol.comMission Valley Living

I was so happy to read this! I had no idea! Thank you for teaching me something new! The photos are simply beautiful and the stories are more than extraordinary. I always thought kids would derive the most benefit when studying Geography and History if the got to spend a year in another state to learn about facts, as you you described, and seeing it first hand, rather than read about it in some geography or history book.

Can you imagin what life would be like if you got to spend the first 8 or 12 years of your life learning about stuff like this in 8, 12 or more different states instead of being in the same classroom for an entire year in the same old place?

Jim - While I grew up in San Diego ... and this was pretty much my history - there are those in Northern California that might propose that 1728 was the birth of California by the Russian Trading company under a grant from Tsar Paul 1st - granted in 1799!

The lower part of the future state was identified as "Spanish California" - and the land-grab was on!

As usual, I get way behind in checking the comments to my many blog posts, so that’s what I’m doing this evening, trying to catch up.

I’ll read through all the comments to see if any of them need a specific response. If so, I’ll respond below this comment. Thanks again for stopping by and commenting. I really do appreciate it, and I’ll be by your blogs soon to do some reading and commenting soon.

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